Memorial Day

My tummy is full from noshing on juicy, seedless watermelon. =)

Yesterday's barbeque was a lot of fun. I forgot how much I enjoy playing volleyball - even sand volleyball. Thanks to yoga, I woke up this morning without feeling too sore. I do, however, need to schedule a massage when I get back to Austin.

Made my way to Ashtanga Michigan this morning despite the insane amount of construction on the freeways. It was a good practice. I was a little tight, and I had left my black mat in Chicago, but I made do with a loaner mat and practice all of first and worked on second through bakasana B. Decided to forgo eka pada sirsasana, and skipped grabbing the ankles in drop-backs since I was still so tight from taking a few days off and all the traveling. I ran into Novi's Memorial Day parade on my way back, so I parked myself at Panera's on Novi Road for awhile and ate brunch and had some quiet time.

While at Panera's, I saw a father outside in the parking lot with his two sons. The older son was around 9ish, with big Asian glasses, while the younger was a sweet, carefree little 4 year old. They were playing by the trunk of the car. The father had forgotten something in the car, so he told his older son to watch the younger one as he went back to retrieve whatever it was he needed to retrieve. The older son took this responsibility seriously. He protectively wrapped his arms around his brother and stood erect, eyes darting fiercely around watching for incoming cars. The younger brother, unaware, continued to play with his pockets and sing nursery rhymes.

Strangely, that struck me as a picture of marriage. Maybe it's because I am a single woman with a string of failed relationships, most of them involving men who didn't look out for me or cherish me as Christ does, but I could not help but think that while on this earth, it would be nice to have a man who had a fierce sense of responsibility to protect me and to love me, and to want for me what my Heavenly Father wants for me. Not, that I can't take care of myself, but it's nice to think that until I am reunited with my Father in Heaven, he sends down someone physically tangible to watch out for me. And I, him.

I'm contemplating spending the rest of my afternoon outside somewhere since it's supposed to be raining the rest of the week. Maybe I'll walk to Blockbuster's to rent some more movies. It's only a little over a mile away, but I'll probably be the only one walking outside since I'm in the middle of the suburbs. ;)

Vacation count so far -
Movies watched: 2
Forbidden Kingdom
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Book read: 1
A Thousand Splendid Suns

A weekend of reunions...

I remember when I was in college, going home was so boring. There seemed to be nothing to do and nowhere to go... The time home would end up melting into a week of watching TV until my brain was numb.

Maybe I only go home now at "peak" vacation times, but last few visits home were busy and full. I got home tomorrow afternoon, collapsed in a heap on my parent's couch (my parents are gone for another 2 days). Finished reading A Thousand Splendid Suns (excellent book!!), wiped the tears from my eyes, and headed out to meet up with old youth group friends. Novi is developing quite the night life - I was pleasantly surprised.

This morning, there was church, then I had lunch with Che - it was nice catching up and hearing about what everyone's been up to. Now I am contemplating doing a few rounds of sun salutations to burn off some of the food I've eaten in the last few days before heading out to a reunion barbeque.

This is going to be a good week. The reunions will probably end tomorrow, and my parents left me some cash as well as their library card so I can catch up on movies and pleasure reading until they come back home.

Chicago Weekend

It has been a weekend of food.

My Friday began at 4:30 AM with me frantically packing and getting ready to drive to the airport around 6. Boarded the plane shortly after 7 and slept the entire flight to Chicago. I have never flown Southwest before and I was completely baffled by the fact we could choose our own seats. The free-for-all seating left me a little disoriented.

Arrived in Chicago to see Brian at around 10. I immediately realized I forgot to pack a jacket for the Midwest (which is currently 30 degrees colder than Texas). We mosied our way to a eco-friendly, organic pizza parlor and had some amazing gourmet pizzas. I then rushed to Union Station where I made my way to Vernon Hills to see old friends Jeff and Lisa, their daughter Emma, and their new baby Jesse. After a few hours of catch-up and visiting, I headed back to Chicago, changed, and met up with some of Brian's friends for an insane amount of Sushi. Then it was off to a wine bar for wine and cheese, before chilling at a hip-hop lounge.

Slept in this morning despite aspirations to work out in the morning, ate at Joy Yee's and took home Bubble Tea for the drive back to Michigan. Now I'm finally back at my parent's home.

It's been fun, but I'm so tired that I'm a little confused to whether certain conversations actually took place this weekend or I hallucinated/dreamed them. Looking forward a nice long week of rest and relaxation, as well as a rededication to my yoga practice with my Michigan guru.

Exhausted...

I am hoping that this is my entrance back into the blogging world. This semester is finally over and I have spent the good part of the week running around getting my non-school life back together. I have clocked almost 9 hours in the car shop this week (with one more trip to go before the end of May for an oil change and inspection) and am less hundreds and hundreds of dollars. And I am in the process of redecorating my room which involves more cleaning and organizing than I anticipated. With having to pay some tuition in order to TA this summer (spending money to make money?) as well as taking a week and a half off teaching yoga tomorrow in order to vacation in the Midwest, I am left with only one thought:

Life is expensive. Sheesh.

But finances aside, these past few months have been a whirlwind. I've laughed; I've cried; I've laughed till I cried; I've cried till I laughed; I've had highs; I've had lows; I've fallen head over heels; I've walked away from potential heartbreak; I've felt the most loved I've ever felt; I've felt the loneliest I've ever felt; I had to finally confront past demons and vices; I escaped from reality to the Caribbean beach.; I felt lost and confused; I dreamed prophetic dreams; I witnessed 2 people dear to me return to the church; and I watched friends turn their backs on God; most importantly, I've transitioned from being a cat person to a dog person. (That last point was in jest).

Lots of thoughts swirling around in my head. Lots of lessons to process. I teach one more yoga class tonight. Depending on my packing progress, I might go salsa dancing tonight before heading to Chicago early tomorrow. Hoping to blog soon...

4 minutes of "fantasticness"

I know many different versions of these videos have been circulating around, but this is one my momma emailed me.

Clean Air

Just bought this baby:
Only been using it for one night and already a world of difference!! 

Scenes from Mexico

Relaxing on the beach

Hanging out with the resort staff

Birthday surprise

Dance troupes and dinners on the beach

Long walks on the beach at night

Cliff-diving

Chichen Itza

Been going non-stop with school and yoga since coming back. Though one thing is becoming clearer and clearer - busyness is crowding out the opportunities for me to serve and love others. As much as I can, I'm going to begin to slow my life down.

Trust and Surrender

Despite missing Mexico like crazy, it's good to be back home. Have a lot of thoughts and ideas swirling around in my head and a few potentionally life impacting decisions to pray over. 

This morning as I was flowing and grooving in my yoga practice (not difficult to do when the background music was Lenny Kravitz), my teacher brought us to a simple pose and had us hold it. "What if I've said all I had to say?" he asked. "What if we just stayed here in this posture for the rest of class?"

My first reaction was panic. My second reaction was irritation. Finally, I gave up and focused on my breath, emptying myself of all expectations and regrets. And stayed in that posture quietly awaiting the next cue. Trusted. Surrendered. And sure enough, we moved onto the next posture. 

Felt God was speaking to me at that moment. I keep awaiting the "next step." Keep wanting to plan ahead. Give it up to God. Focus on breathing in and out, on being present in my life. Stay quietly and await the next cue. Trust and surrender. Above all, keep listening. And he will move me forward when the time is right.

Been having lots of crazy dreams about losing my teeth...

so I looked up "teeth" in a dream dictionary:

"My Teeth Are Falling"

Dreams that your teeth are falling out are the most common dreams we here at Dream Moods receive. Common dream scenarios include having your teeth crumble in your hands, fall out one by one with just a light tap, grow crooked or rot. Such dreams are not only horrifying and shocking, but often leaves the dreamer with a lasting image of the dream. So what does it mean?

One theory is that dreams about your teeth reflect your anxiety about your appearance and how others perceive you. Sadly, we live in a world where good looks are valued highly and your teeth play an important role in conveying that image. Teeth are used in the game of flirtations, whether it be a dazzling and gleaming smile or affectionate necking. These dreams may stem from a fear of your sexual impotence or the consequences of getting old. Teeth are an important feature of our attractiveness and presentation to others. Everybody worries about how they appear to others. Caring about our appearance is natural and healthy.

Another rationalization for these falling teeth dream may be rooted in your fear of being embarrassed or making a fool of yourself in some specific situation. These dreams are an over-exaggeration of your worries and anxiety.

Teeth are used to bite, tear, chew and gnaw. In this regard, teeth represent power. And the loss of teeth in your dream may be from a sense of powerlessness. Are you lacking power in some current situation? Perhaps you are having difficulties expressing yourself or getting your point across. You feel frustrated when your voice is not being heard. You may be experiencing feelings of inferiority and a lack of self-confidence in some situation or relationship in your life. This dream is an indication that you need to be more assertive and believe in the value of your own opinion.

In the latest research, it has been shown that women in menopause have frequent dreams about teeth. This may be related to getting older and/or feeling unattractive and less feminine.

Traditionally, it was thought that dreaming that you did not have teeth, represent malnutrition which may be applicable to some dreamers.

Other Perspectives

A scriptural interpretation for bad or falling teeth indicate that you are putting your faith, trust, and beliefs in what man thinks rather than in the word of God. The bible says that God speaks once, yea twice in a dream or a vision in order to hide pride from us, to keep us back from the pit, to open our ears (spiritually) and to instruct and correct us.

In the Greek culture, when you dream about loose, rotten, or missing teeth, it indicates that a family member or close friend is very sick or even near death.

According to the Chinese, there is a saying that your teeth will fall out if your are telling lies.

It has also been said that if you dream of your teeth falling out, then it symbolizes money. This is based on the old tooth fairy story. If you lose a tooth and leave it under the pillow, a tooth fairy would bring you money.

Education System

Verrrrry excited to hear that the education system reform is taking a step in the right direction. Problem is, longer school days will do no good in a culture where knowledge and education aren't being valued...

On a side note, I'm unashamedly smitten with our very ambitious president.

Didn't I have this conversation yesterday?

Serious survey takers only, please...

Are you currently in a romantic relationship?? The University of Texas at Austin is inviting you to participate in a Psychology study on romantic relationships. We are interested in learning how people change in their romantic relationships. At the completion of your participation, you may enter a raffle to win $50. 1 out of 75 will win. You must be at least 18 years old. Thank you for helping us with this important research.

Click Here to take survey

Always check your kid's homework!!

I'm not keen on reposting things from other blogs, but this made me giggle the whole drive to school this morning:

(Here's the reply the teacher received the following day) 

Dear Mrs. Jones,

I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer.

I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.

From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Smith

Women Drivers!

Just a disclaimer: I am very offended by the sexist nature of this video. However, it still cracks me up, and I just thought I'd share anyway.

Anti-Classical Conditioning?

My momma sent me some pictures of a new restaurant in Taiwan. The name of the restaurant is "Modern Toilet." As a Psychologist, it's an interesting concept to me in light of what we know about classical conditioning!

And my favorite (especially since I live with an only semi-housetrained dog):

On another note, I received a sweet email from one of my yoga students over the weekend. He said: "I've attended your vinyasa yoga classes at the rec center these past couple of weeks and I must say that I have a new found love for yoga."

What great encouragement during a much-needed time!

SPSP 2009

So last week I went to Tampa for a Social Psychology conference. The first one I went to back in 2006, I decided Psychology was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Last year, I returned for the first time as a grad student and got completely freaked out. I developed a BAAAAAD case of imposter syndrome and carried that with me all last year. This year was... much more encouraging.
Tampa was an interesting place. I went there thinking there was absolutely nothing to do outside of the conference. I was wrong. The city followed up a weekend of Superbowl craziness with their annual Gasparilla festival. Apparently, a Spanish pirate named Jose Gaspar used to pillage and raid southwest Florida, including Tampa Bay. Finally, the villagers of Tampa revolted and killed the pirate. Since then, every year they would celebrate the demise of Gaspar by sailing "pirate ships" into the bay and shooting water balloons, beads, and coins at the ship.

It made for a fun weekend. The convention center was downtown, so I got to watch the parade on my way from the hotel. I also got to ride a real, authentic trolley on my way to Ybar to celebrate our last night in Tampa. The only complaint I had was that it was below freezing half the time I was in Tampa, and I had brought nothing warmer than a light jacket!

As much as I love to travel, I realize that I don't always travel well. I shared a double room with 3 other people (yes, 2 per bed) and went a bit stir crazy by Saturday. I had no alone time between the conference, socializing/schmoozing, and having 3 hotel roommates, no quiet time, and no time or space for yoga. 

I guess I'm learning how to set up bounderies. On one hand, we're suppose to live missionally, and be willing to thrive under all sorts of conditions. On the other hand, there is something to be said about retreating and taking care of yourself so that you have something to give. I wish I said I was a most gracious, loving person the entire trip, but perhaps the only way for me to be that way is to set up an hour or two of alone time each day on the trip. Perhaps I need my own bed (that did make the trip a lot easier last year!). 

Regardless, it feels soooo nice to be back in Austin. Looking forward to staying put in one place until spring break =)

I wish every trip to the dentist ended like this...

Packing Tips

Not only did I overpack, I overpacked for a 5 day trip to Tampa, FL in 30 minutes. Needless to say, everything was thrown haphazardly into my suitcase and I had to sit on it to zip it up. Not having learned my lesson the first time around, I repeated the same process on the trip back.

Each way of the trip, I opened my suitcase to find a note that my bag was "randomly" searched. Underneath the note, the airline had neatly organized and repacked my luggage.

Lesson learned: a messy packer saves time - and apparently you'll get your luggage repacked for free. 

Happy Lunar New Year!!

I've been wanting to update more, but this semester is just really crazy. 2009 started off really rocky, but the only thing I have to say is God's grace is abundant!!

So much is happening, even just over the past week or so. I'm learning lessons and really living life. I even changed the name of the blog from "reflections" to "living in grace."

Can't write more right now since I'm a little behind on reading for my Neuroscience class (I know, yikes!) but wanted to leave you with one picture.

Since today is another chance at having new beginnings (Chinese New Year), I decided to start off my new year detoxifying mind, body, and soul. Well, part of the body detox is to stock up on nutrition this week and weed out sweets. I'm eating oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, a hearty split green pea stew for lunch, and steamed veggies and brown rice for dinner. As snacks I stocked my fridge with carrots and celery with hummus.

Well, the split green pea stew was interesting to make. At first, it looked delicious as I had added red potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables. However, the last step of the recipe was to blend soft tofu and spinach into a creamy concoction and stir it into the stew. To my dismay, it turned the stew almost a flourescent green color:

Luckily for me, it tastes sooo much better than it looks. Happy Lunar New Year!!!

Happy New Year!!